Her Story
About D'Elia
D'Elia Wernecke serves as Director of Federal Government Relations, advocating on behalf of UC Irvine for public higher education, research funding, and immigration policy. Her day-to-day work includes meeting with congressional staff and members, bringing campus advocates such as students, professors, and leadership to discuss the value of public higher education and the return on investment from taxpayer-funded research. She began her career around 2013 as a graduate fellow in government affairs. Prior to her current role, she worked at the U.S. National Science Foundation for a significant period, where she spearheaded three large artificial intelligence showcases on the Hill to demonstrate the impact of research funding. D'Elia earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. As an undergraduate studying English and Political Science, she graduated in 2014 and participated in the Hokies on the Hill program, spending a semester working in a congressional office. She completed her graduate degree in 2015 through a program that allowed her to roll undergraduate and graduate work together, and she received funding for her graduate studies via the Office of Government Relations at Virginia Tech while serving as a General Assembly Fellow advocating for Virginia Tech and other public institutions at the state level. These experiences at Virginia Tech directly led to her passion for government relations in higher education.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with D'Elia
01What do you attribute your success to?
Probably just the wonderful community that we have. There are just so many great advocates and just great people that work in the higher education sector, and you know, I have really learned and grown so much from people in this community. I find that, you know, once folks get into it, they don't really leave it. They're, you know, they're driven, I think, by the mission and the importance of the role, and so we really are so lucky that when young people come into this sector and in this career field, there are just so many wonderful mentors and people to look up to and ask questions of. And, you know, I've been very grateful and lucky that folks are really, open with their time and with their knowledge.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Probably something that my mom has told me for a very long time, clarity before action. And it has given me a lot of heartache, but also just a lot of time and energy. And, you know, once you got your plan out there really sure about what that, you know, your steps A, B, and C could look like, it makes follow-through a lot easier.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Come on over. We've got so many, so many wonderful, wonderful women who are kind of doing it all, there's, I don't see any barriers to entry here.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think everyone is grappling with both tight budget environments. But also, you know, we've got a big question hanging out in, I think, society on the value of higher education and what universities are really doing to better society and better people's lives. The opportunity is that as the world evolves we need to be able to evolve with it, and so much good can come out of programs that are developed in universities, the research, the health outcomes.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Definitely I mean, you can't be a lobbyist without having integrity and being really honest and real with people. And I, I think that openness, that realness is, is really the backbone of this industry, but also just interactions with people in general. So I definitely strive to be that way, and I do have an expectation of my colleagues and the folks that I work with to do the same with me. Even when it's hard, or it's answers that I don't love.
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